Aquilegia chrysantha A. Gray var. hinckleyana (Munz) Lott

Synonym(s): Aquilegia hinckleyana

Hinckley columbine is currently considered a variety of Aquilegia chrysantha. Its diagnostic features are its petal blades, which are shorter but not narrower than in other varieties of its species at 2 cm long and 16 mm wide, and its tendency to have twice-divided leaves, fewer than the three divisions of other varieties of A. chrysantha. Its foliage is as fern-like and delicate as that of other columbines, and its canary yellow flowers are prominent and spurred. It grows to three and a half feet tall and is endemic to a single site: Capote Falls in the Sierra Vieja Mountains of Presidio County, Texas.

Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana is one of many yellow columbines popular in the nursery trade, but it is truly rare in the wild, native only to a single waterfall in far west Texas. Like other golden columbines, it is valued for its shade tolerance, attractive foliage, and clear yellow flowers. Columbines are short-lived perennials that reseed to replace mother plants where seed is allowed to mature and drop. They also hybridize freely between species and varieties, so plants sold as yellow columbine or golden columbine likely contain genetic material from varied sources.

The genus name Aquilegia comes from the Latin aquila which means eagle and refers to the spurred petals that many believe resemble an eagles talons.

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Propagation

Propagation Material: Clump Division , Seeds Description: Shallowly sow seed in late fall or divide mature plants in late summer. Clump division best done when dormant and is not as successful as seed propagation. Seed Collection: Collect seed in late April, May. Be sure that the plants you collect seed from are isolated from other Aquilegia species because they cross easily. Seeds may ripen and be shed before the pod has turned brown. If seeds in greenish follicles are black, they are ready to collect. Cut the fruiting stalk and keep in a dry bag for a few days until the seeds shake free. Seed Treatment: Sow seed in fall as soon as temperature drops and in spring before the worst heat. Will germinate in summer, but not as well and plants struggle more. Stored seed must have a moist, cold period to break dormancy. Commercially Avail: yesMaintenance: Remove spent foliage during growing season. Keep soil moist but not wet to avoid rotting crowns. Aquilegia species tend to hybridize when grown with other Aquilegia species. To keep this variety pure and true to flower color, keep other Aquilegia species far apart to avoid cross pollination.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Planting shade plants in 100+ weatherJune 25, 2009I was planning on planting some columbines in a barrel and Turk's Cap and Coralberry in my yard, but hadn't counted on the extreme heat this early in the summer. Is it okay to plant these things as... view the full question and answer

From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations: